Penn State University Libraries - Accounting

Collection Development Statement
Accounting


Principal Selector

Kevin Harwell
Business Librarian
309 Paterno

Secondary Selectors

Gary White
Head, Schreyer Business Library
309 Paterno

Daniel Hickey
Business/IST Librarian
309 Paterno

Diane Zabel
Benzak Business Librarian
309 Paterno

Fund

ACCTG

General Statement
Accountants are professionals who help individuals, business firms, or governmental agencies plan for and oversee their financial operations. They have been trained to "work with figures," to pay strict attention to details, and to maintain order in the financial and operational aspects of their work.
Students who major in Accounting prepare for careers in public, industrial, or governmental accounting, or plan to enter law school or graduate school. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) provide auditing, accounting, tax, and management advisory services.
Program Information

Collections in this area support accounting programs in the Smeal College of Business and other campuses of Penn State.
The Baccalaureate degree in Accounting prepares students for professional examinations for Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Accounting students who seek academic excellence and leadership opportunities participate in the Smeal Sapphire program and the Schreyer Honors College, which provide opportunities for special study and research. The Smeal College undergraduate Accounting program is rank at #20 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.
Smeal College is developing a new Master of Accounting (MAcc) program to provide students with expanded curriculum to meet accounting license regulations in several states, including Pennsylvania. This program will be a 150 credit program and will include undergraduate and graduate courses. It will be phased in beginning in Fall 2009.
The college has one of the top accounting doctoral programs in the country. The Accounting Department currently has 24 full-time faculty members and 15 full-time doctoral students. The Smeal College rank for accounting research is at #8 in the nation according to the University of Texas at Dallas Top 100 Business School Research.
Areas of Focus/Strengths

The collections focus on the areas of federal tax research, financial accounting, managerial accounting, international accounting, forensic accounting, auditing, accounting standards, business analysis, and enterprise resource planning. Much emphasis is placed on accounting practice and tax research materials.

Description of Materials Covered

Accounting collections consist of resources that support advanced research in the areas outlined above. In addition to monographs and serials supporting areas of focus, a significant portion of the collections are electronic databases providing federal tax materials, accounting standards and interpretive information, and academic journals. Accounting collections also include career-related materials.

Overlap with Other Collections

Accounting processes and concepts are utilized in a variety of disciplines in addition to business administration. Accounting courses are listed as “prescribed” or “additional” for the following majors in the Penn State University Bulletin:
• Agribusiness Management (AG)
• Agricultural Systems Management (AG)
• Animal Sciences (AG)
• Biological Engineering (AG)
• Energy Business and Finance (EMS)
• Health Policy and Administration (HHD)
• Labor Studies and Employment Relations
• Landscape Contracting (A&A)
• Mineral Economics (EMS)
• Psychology (LA)
• Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management (HHD)
• Science (SCI)
• Security and Risk Analysis (IST)
• Spanish (LA)
• Statistics (SCI)
• Wood Products (AG)
The selector works closely with selectors in who collect in these areas to accomplish collection objectives.

Subject & Language Modifiers

Accounting collections focus primarily on English-language materials published in the United States. Currency of information is vital, requiring constant updating of collections to address changing laws, standards and practices.

Exclusions

The business library does not systematically acquire accounting handbooks and exam preparation materials. Examples are acquired only on an occasional basis.

Future Directions

Smeal College will offer a 150 credit-hour program to undergraduates which will result in a Master of Accounting (MAcc) professional degree starting in Fall 2009.

Also on the horizon, the U.S. and other countries are quickly moving toward adoption of convergent accounting standards for corporate financial reports and related purposes. Authority for standards is currently shifting from national boards to international organizations.


May 4, 2009